Card feeding device



Dec. 12, 1950 A. F. HAYEK CARD FEEDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 29, 1948 Flg MW 3nnentor Dec. 12, 1950 A,F,HAYEK 2,533,932

CARD FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fug. 6

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention pertains to card feeding devices for playing cards and moreparticularly to such devices adapted for use in card dealing andshuffling machines.

Devices characterized as dealing and shufliing machines have been usedfor many years but are subject to several inherent disadvantages: theyare usually bulky, complicated and expensive, in fact so costly thattheir purchase is not within the budget of the vast majority ofcitizens.

My card feeding device is especially useful for the type of card dealingand shufliing machines where the cards are not actually shuiiied but aregiven the equivalent of a shuffle by dealing the cards in a randommanner. Stated otherwise, the cards are shuflied as they are dealt.Illustratively, three cards are dealt to one player, one card to thenext player, two cards to the next and so on. However, the presentdrawback of these machines is that the cards are fed one at a time sothat each card must be handled individually by'the machine. When severalcards must be dealt to the same player, there is a loss of time becausethe machine must perform a complete feeding and dealing operation foreach card.

Broadly, I have invented a card feeding device which obviates all of theforegoing disadvantages.

A principal object is the provision of a card feeding device whereinfrom one to several cards are successively mechanically separated andfed from a deck of cards.

Another object comprehends a device which will feed or discharge fromone to several cards in a certain predetermined sequence wherein eachdischarge will consist of a different and predetermined number of cards.

Another object is the provision of a card feeding device which willhandle the operation of feeding, discharging, dealing or separatingseveral cards with the same facility and dispatch as feeding,discharging or separating one card-- that is, the device handlesmultiples of one card as a group.

Other objects contemplate the provision of a card feeding deviceadmirably adapted for use in relatively inexpensive and compact dealingand shufiiing machines of my design, characterized by simplicity ofmanufacture and ease of operation.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent as thedescription of the invention unfolds.

In the description herein, the words feedin discharging, dealing andseparating are considered equivalents and are used interchangeably.

I have illustrated the card dealing device in three card dealing andshufiiing machines I have designed for its use. However, it should benoted, that there are many other possible embodiments capable ofemploying the device in addition to the modifications I have shown inthe drawings. It will be apparent from the inspection of these machinesthat my card feeding device opens up a new approach to the design ofcard dealing and shuffling machines.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my card feeding device, with the discshown capable of discharging or separating successively 2, 3, 1, 2, 0,.3 and 2 cards from the deck.

Fig. 2 is one modification of the disc member.

Fig. 3 is another modification of the said member.

Fig. 4 is a third modification of the disc member.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a card dealing and shufiling machineemploying my card feeding device.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of another card dealing and shufliingmachine employing my card feeding device.

Fig. '7 is a side view of a third card dealing and shufliing machineemploying my card feeding de- The card feeding device as illustrated inFig. 1, consists of a disc 5 cooperating with a card receptacle 9,having an outer lip l to support the cards, the disc containing severalnotches of various depths about its periphery. The number of cards eachnotch is capable of feeding from the deck is proportional to the depthof the notch. The notch depicted in contact with the deck 6 has a depthequal to the thickness of two cards. The next notch has a depth equal tothe thickness of three cards and will feed three cards from the deck. Asthe disc is rotated clockwise and each notch contacts the edge or edgesof the cards, it will feed successively the number of cards indicated bythe circled number adjacent each notch. The outer end of the deck issupported by the lip 1. As the cards are fed from the notched disc. theymay fall directly upon the card table or upon a lip 8, whichever methodis deemed desirable.

The disc may assume a number of forms, severalof which are illustratedin Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The disc may have teeth instead of notches; it

may have rounded edges or be in the form of a ceptacle.

truncated cone. Or, its axis of rotation may be at any angle with boththe surface of the deck and/or to the edge of the deck. Additionally,the shape and axis of rotation of the disc can have other variationsthan those shown dependin upon the particular application.

The card feeding device is shown mounted in a card dealing and shufflingmachine depicted in Fig. 5. The deck of cards is placed in the cardreceptacle erwhich are spring loaded by a leaf spring is fastened to ahinged arm H. The arm is depicted in its open position as the deck isplaced in the card receptacle, with a knob l2 fastened to the centerportion thereof, for manipulation of the arm.

Card receptacle 9 is rotatably mounted on stud I3 projecting from andsecured to base l4. Notched disc 5 and gear I5 are secured to shaft l6,which is rotatably mounted on the card reby stud l3.

In the operation of the machine, card receptacles is rotated clockwiseby manipulating knob 12. The stationary gear i? on the stud actuatesgear :5 and the notched disc in the direction shown. 7

Assuming there are four players, the ratio between gears should be suchthat four (4) notches engage the cards during each revolution; As thecards fall, they are caught by the lip 8 where they remain untilforcibly removed by one of the four posts I8.

The lip 23 and the posts 98 are not absolutely necessary. Without thelip 8, the cards would fall directly into four (4) piles as they are fedfrom the notched disc. However, with old and battered cards, theposition at which they leave the disc may not be uniform. The lip 8 andthe 7 piles of (13) thirteen cards each. It is obvious,

however, that the machine could be modified to adapt itself to varioustypes of card games which require decks with a different number of cardsand/or which requires a different number of players.-

Let the players be designated as North, East, South and West andthen-let North be the first player to receive the two cards shown inFig. 1. It will be "noticed that a portion of the disc is labeled Zero.This simply corresponds to a notch of zero depth or no notch at all sothat occasionally during some revolution, one of the players willreceive no cards. The cards will be dealt as shown in the table below.

No. of Revolutions Each of the players will, therefore, receive thirteen(13) cards and the deal is complete at the end ofthe seventh revolution.It will be evi- Gear 15 meshes with gear l'l carried dent from study ofthe above table'that the cards are given the equivalent of a shuflie asthey are dealt and that each player will receive thirteen (13) cardsregardless of which notch first engages the cards or which player firstreceives cards.

There are other possible variations in both the arrangement of thenotches on the disc or in the number of notches on the disc. Increasingthe'ntunber of notches on the disc will increase the number of possiblearrangements of.

fnotches "should have a depth equal to the thickness of three (3) cards,or for a game of bridge, each notch would have the depth of one card.

Fig. 6 shows another card dealing and shuffiing machine which employs mycard feeding device. In this drawing, a, toothed instead of 'a notcheddisc 22, is shownfeeding the cards from the deck. The side of thetoothed disc contains a circular row of teeth which mesh with a spurgear secured to a vertical shaft. A knob is rigidly fastened to the topend of this shaft. By firmly gripping this knob and by rotating the cardreceptacle' 23', the vertical shaft will rotate with respect to the cardreceptacle and turn the toothed disc. As the cards are discharged fromthe toothed disc, they'sli'de down an inclined plane on to the cardtable. r Fig. 7' shows third card dealing and shuffling machine whichemploys my card feeding device. In this machine a notched disc as isrotated by a gear train which consists of a large spur gear fastened tothe stationary base of the machine, a small spur gear and bevelgearmounted on a vertical shaft and a large bevel. gear mounted on a shaftwhich supports the notched disc. J'Ihese gears will rotate the notcheddisc as the card receptacle 25 is rotated. 7

As the cards are fed and fall to the bottom of the card receptacle, theyare forcibl removed by a flat leaf spring. The leaf spring is forced tomove awa from the card'receptacle by four (4) projections on the base ofthe machine. These projections are so shaped that they suddenly releasethe flat spring so that it swings to receptacle in the direction shownby the arrow.

There areseveral other machines in addition to those illustrated whichcould be designed.

around m card feeding device and which would perform with equaleffectiveness. From those shown, however, it can be see that severalcards can be fed from the deck and dealt toone player without repeatinga separate operation for each,

card.

My card feeding device differs from other devices used in card dealingand shuflling machines in that it lifts or separates a small packet ofcards from the rest of the deck. The action is' similar to that used bya magicianf'or removing a predetermined number of cards from the deck.

.I- I e places his thumb at the side of the deck with his thumb nailprotruding over the edge. By

pinching the deck, he can remove a number of cards equal in thickness tothe length of his thumb nail. In other devices, however, the cards aregenerally removed by sliding them across the remainder of the deck. Themachines are also commonly limited by the fact that they feed only onecard at a time requiring a separate dealing operation for each card. Inaddition in these machines, there is an occasional sticking of the cardsdue to the sliding action mentioned. In some of the better machines,provision is made for stripping the unwanted cards from the single card.My card feeding device on the other hand can feed several cards at onetime so that the machines can handle them as a group and not repeat aseparate operation for each card and in addition, since it lifts the fedcards from the deck, instead of sliding them, it eliminates the problemof sticking cards encountered in other card dealing and shufilingmachines.

I reserve the right to make such changes and modifications as may comewithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from theessence of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a card feeding device, a horizontally disposed card receptacle forcarrying and compressing a deck of cards, a vertically disposed disclikemember rotatably mounted on the receptacle in continuous contact withone bottom edge of rated from the deck and distributed about the base inquantities determined by the number and dimension of the teeth.

2. In a card dealing and shufiiing machine, in combination, ahorizontally disposed card receptacle for carrying a deck of cards, avertically disposed disc-like member having spaced teeth, at least someof which are of different heights on the periphery thereof and rotatablymounted on the receptacle in continuous contact with one edge of thedeck, the receptacle and member being rotatably mounted on a commonfixed base and the disc-like member geared thereto, means for rotatingsaid toothed member in a given ratio to the number of revolutions ofsaid card receptacle about the base, means for compressing the cardsagainst the toothed member, whereby cards are successively fed from thebottom of the deck in a quantity determined by the dimension and ratioof the teeth, and means fixed on the base for directing said cards intopiles about the base.

3. A card dealing and shufliing device including a base, a frame mountedfor rotation on the base and provided with a horizontally disposed cardreceptacle for holding a deck of cards provided with fixed abutments onopposite lower sides and means to press on the top side of the deck tosupport the cards, a vertically disposed rotatable disc-like membermounted on said frame contacting the edge of the deck and geared to thebase, said member having a plurality of teeth on the peripher thereof ofdifferent dimensions, the said teeth adapted to engage and separatecards from the deck, means provided on said base to engage anddistribute the cards about the base as the frame is rotated about thebase, and the disc-like member engages and separates cards from thedeck.

ARTHUR F. HAYEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 999,670 Murch Aug. 1, 19111,028,286 Schmidt June 4, 1912 1,708,441 Cole Apr, 9, 1929 1,757,553Tauschek May 6, 1930 1,916,723 Ferrar July 4, 1933 1,955,926 MatthaeyApr. 24, 1934 2,044,266 Weber June 16, 1936

